For thewizardofoddness's contest.
Da feels XD
Stars shine high above me now
Make a wish and whisper low
Sky's the only one who hears
Moonlight hides the worst of tears.
It had been another long day. Standing outside his apartment building under a full moon, with snow chilling him up to his ankles, Tsubasa dreaded the chaos that undoubtedly awaited him inside; Gingka and Masamune had been home alone all day with Yuu, now that it was flu season. Surely there would be some sort of mess when he stepped inside the door.
When I've got nowhere to go,
Who can comfort? Who can know?
Is there a single soul who cares,
Besides the voiceless chilling stars?
Sometimes he wondered if anybody really knew the effort he made to keep things organised around here.
Before the World Tournament, before he'd become part of a team, he'd worked solo; on his own, there was nobody to criticise or depend upon him. But now the world seemed to be hitching a ride on his shoulders.
Shadows go across the moon
Don't you cry, I'll be home soon
Even if you don't see me,
I see you.
He dawdled outside like this most nights. Even though the snow sometimes seemed unbearably cold in the winter months, and the moon above him was unforgiving, it helped him to have a little time to wait before facing the next challenge.
A little face smushed itself against the window high above him briefly, and he winced at the smudges it would leave; then he could hear faintly the sound of a little boy calling out, 'Tsubasa's home!'
Window in the sky tonight
Moon of silver shining bright
Stars like eyes, watching, caring
Glimmering orbs from sky heights staring
Tsubasa smiled slightly to himself and crossed the threshold into the apartment building; soft light and warmth in the lobby washed over him, and he kicked the snow off his shoes. It settled into the straw on the worn welcome mat, melting already beneath the apartment's trusty heater.
The elevator dinged as it hit the bottom floor; its doors opened and he stepped inside.
Even when I am inside
Even when it isn't night
You'll never ever be alone -
I've got the stars to guide me home.
Pressing the button for the top floor, he shut his eyes and let the movement of the lift lull him into peace; he knew the others would be waiting. Dinner would not be ready, and the apartment would not be clean. But it would always be home.
At last the elevator ground to a soft stop, and the doors opened once more; dusky beams of light from the hall fell across the threshold of the elevator, and he crossed over and took a right, his footsteps guiding him along the familiar path.
Even when I'm feeling sad
Being home can make me glad
Even when it's dark and stormy
I know you'll be waiting for me.
The door opened in front of him before he could reach out for the knob; Yuu bounced up and down just below his line of sight. "Tsubasa, Tsubasa! Is it cold outside?"
"Yes, it is", he told the little boy, smiling as Yuu grabbed his hand excitedly. "Is there a lot of snow?"
"Almost 5 inches."
"We can have a snowball fight!"
"When everybody gets over their colds you can."
Your face is a light in the room of my mind
I don't have the heart to leave you behind.
Though the path ahead veers left and right
The stars will take me home tonight.
Yuu bounced farther into the apartment; Masamune and Gingka sat head to head on the couch, yelling at each other over the video game they were playing, sneezes perforating their challenges. Tsubasa let Yuu help him with dinner and pried the boys away from their game long enough to eat.
At last everyone got tired out; the three younger boys fell asleep on the couch, leaving Tsubasa with a blaring TV and the dishes undone.
He smiled to himself as he cleaned up.
Though it's difficult to keep my head
I'll spend each night in my own bed.
There's a lot of long, hard nights and days
But I'd have it no other way.
I've got this place to call my own -
My footsteps always lead me home.
Yes, perhaps it was chaos and perhaps it was unfair, but this place was home to him, and that would never change one bit.